The Star-Crossed Lovers
by Jasmin King
Summary: This is my version of the hunger games in Peeta's POV. I don't really know another way to symmetrize this. Just please give me a chance.
1. Chapter 1

**hey what's up! I had started this a year back but I never found this site until recently. So this is only my second fan fic, but I hope everyone enjoys. I don't not own the characters they all belong to Suzanne Collins. Thanks for giving me a chance. I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think.**

Chapter 1

I'm in the forest and I'm running but from what I don't know. All I know is something or someone is chasing me and I don't want to find out what happens if they catch me so I keep running. After running into what seems like at least a million tree limbs, tripping over a thousand roots, and swatting away a hundred spider web hoping there were none on them I finally decide that I must know what I'm running from. I try to listen to the noise behind me even though it is very hard to do when your heart is going a mile a minute, and you're making so much noise yourself. I'm not a hunter but I give my best estimate by how loud the leaves are crunching behind me that whatever is chasing me is a bit further behind possibly injured or just slower than me which is very unlikely cause I'm not a fast runner. I see a big tree coming up so I decide that I will hide behind the tree until my follower passes so maybe I can get a good idea of what I'm dealing with.

I wake up with something hard and sharp poking me in the back. I sit up and turn around to see what it was. I pick up the long slender pointy object. Oh it's just my pencil I must have fallen asleep drawing again I have been doing that a lot recently. Well now I'm up and I know I won't be going back to sleep because today is the worst day ever. Today is the day of the reaping.

I stretch before I have to get ready for work. Today is going to be a very busy day at the bakery. Everyone will be coming to get something to bring home so they can celebrate that there child survived another reaping, but for the families of the children that have been chosen they will have the shutters closed and doors locked so they can eat and morn for their child in peace. I get out of bed and pick up all the drawing material that fell on the floor last night. It's not much but it's something I can do in free time. I have the cardboard to draw on from boxes we get when there is a package or delivery for us. I have a couple of pencils that are not that sharp unless I use a knife to sharpen it, and a tightly rolled up piece of paper that I use for shading that I found rolling around one day. Things are very expensive around here, and no one has any money to pay for it. When you see something on the ground that could be useful in some way you better pick it up or someone else might, and you might not have another chance of finding it. I would go and look through the trash cans but if you get caught you can get in serious trouble. Though from what I have seen and heard the Peacekeepers here are very easygoing, but I'm not going to put it to the test.

I gather all my material together and go put it on my desk. I turn around and see that the sun is coming up through the trees. I walk over to my window, which is on the other side of my room, and look at the sun rise. I look at it in amazement because it's so…. beautiful. All those colors mixing together to make a work of art is so amazing. I hurry back to my desk to try and find the picture I did of the sun rise before. Finally I found it and went back to the window with it. As I look at my picture then to the sun rise I realize I could never capture the true beauty of it on my cardboard with just a pencil I would need actual colors not just black and white. That's a little hard to come by though so I will have to deal with what I got. I take one last look outside then I go put my picture back down on my desk. I put on my work cloths and walk over to the mirror. I brush my blond hair, tuck in my white shirt, put on my tan color apron which has Peeta Mellark in big black letters sown at the top, and then head down stairs to open shop. As I head down stairs I remember there was something I forgot to do, but I can't remember what it was so I push it aside and continue down stairs.

As I get down stairs I look around trying to find the light switch. I finally find it and flip it to where it's on. I look around there is a lot of work that has to be done. I wonder why my dad hasn't come down yet. I start the fire for the ovens, cleaning the countertops to where it will look presentable and clean for all the people who walk in the doors today. A half an hour later the fire is hot and ready for the bread. As I start kneading the dough I hear something moving around up stairs. I'm hoping it's my brothers or my dad because I really don't want to deal with my mom this early in the morning. Whoever it is they start heading down stairs. I didn't realize I was holding my breath until I let out a sigh of relief as my dad rounds the corner. He must haveheard me sigh because he is now looking at me with concern instead of shock. I smile at him, "Hey dad I hope I didn't wake you I was just trying to open up since today is going to be so busy."

He looks at me for a second then replies, "No Peeta, you didn't wake me I was already awake. I just heard something down here and was coming to see was it was." That explains the rolling pinin his hand. He follows my gaze to the rolling pin in his hand and puts it back with the other utensils. He looks back up at me "So what are you doing up this early usually I have to wake you up in the mornings. Are you okay?"

"Oh yeah I'm fine." He looks at me expecting an answer. "I fell asleep drawing again and my pencil poked me and woke me up. I didn't even try to go back to sleep with it being reaping day and all so I came down here thinking I could help and open up the shop."

"Yeah sure I could always use a hand." We stand there awkwardly for a second when my dad breaks the silence and says, "How about I do the bread while you start icing the cakes. You know like I do those will sell quickly for celebrating after everything's all said and done."

"Yeah sure" He knows I'm more relaxed and in my best mood when I do the cakes. Plus since I draw so much I'm the best artist here. I walk over to the cake table, get all my supplies together, I got my icing tube and was ready to start decorating the cake when…

"PEETA MELLARK GET UP HERE NOW!" Great my mother is up. That's when it hit me. I remember what I forgot to do this morning. I forgot to make my bed. I run upstairs and my mother is standing right in front of my doorway arms crossed and an angry expression on her face.

"Yes ma'am?" I reply even though I know exactly what she is going to say, but if I didn't ask I would get in more trouble.

"Is there something you forgot to do this morning?" she asked.

"I don't think so." I lied because if I told her the truth then once again I would get in more trouble for being a 'know it all' and 'if you knew then why didn't you go ahead and do it' so this is just easier than getting in trouble this early in the morning.

"Well why don't you look around your room and try to figure it out!" She moved out of my way so I could walk in my room. I look around my room until my eyes found the bed. I let out a silent "oh" loud enough for her to here but not too loud to make it obvious that I already knew.

She scoffed and shook her head "Yeah you forgot to make your bed!" She smacked me on the back of the head. "Hurry up and fix it then go down stairs and get to work!" She turned around and started walking down stairs shaking her head mumbling something that sounded like "kids why do they have to be so difficult." She rounded the corner and I let out a sigh of relief and pain because now my head hurts. I rubbed my head and went over to make my bed. When I get done I head down stairs. I hear someone talking to my dad but I can't tell who it is or what they are talking about. I thought it was my mother but the voice sound to deep and boyish to be my mother. When I walk around the corner I see a tall, pale, seam boy, with short brown hair, and it looks like he has grey eyes like all the other seam kids. He must have heard me come down stairs because he turns to look at me. Then I realize who he is he's one of Katniss'friends or from what I hear from my friends her boyfriend Gale.

**So what did you think? Is this something I should continue or not? If you have any ideas or suggestions let me know. Thanks again for giving me a chance! ~JASMIN**


	2. Chapter 2

**hey sorry for the wait. I hope you enjoy the second chapter. I do not own the characters they all belong to Suzanne Collins.**

He's still looking at me so I give a quick nod and walk over to the cake table which is close enough to hear what they're talking about without it looking like I'm trying to eavesdrop. He turns back to my father and continues with their conversation.

"But yeah I went out real early this morning and found himhopping from tree to tree. I was wondering if I could trade it for a small loaf of bread. Katniss told me that you like squirrels."

My father smiles at him. "Indeed we do."

Gale smiles back. "Good, then do we have a deal?" He reaches his hand out toward my dad.

My dad laughs. "Of course" He takes his hand and they shake in agreement. Just then a timer goes off. "Well Gale you came at just the right time we have fresh loaves that are hot and ready."He walks over to the oven, puts on his oven mitts, opens the door, grabs the bread pan, and lays it on the table. A small breeze flows through an open window and immediately I smell it. It's a smell I have the pleasure of smelling every morning, the smell of fresh baked bread. Gale must smell it as well because now he's opening his game bag. Once he finds it he pulls out this big, fat, juicy looking squirrel and lays it down on the mouth starts to water as I think of that squirrel in one of my father's stews. You would think that since we work and own the bakery that we would be able to eat all the bread that we want. Sadly that's not true. We won't starve like some of the people in the Seam, but we don't eat like kings and queens either like theMayor and his family. The only bread that we get is the stale or burnt pieces. If we get caught eating the fresh pieces it is considered stealing and we could get punished for it, but we wouldn't get anywhere near as much trouble as Gale & Katniss would. They break the law every day. Each time they pass the fence boundary to go hunting, and come back with wild game. If district 12 was anything like all the other districts one the fence would be electrified, and two they would probably be killed for it. Luckily I live in district 12 where most things are relaxed and easy. Of course that's up here where all the wealthier people live. I have no clue what happens down at the Seam. The only thing I know that there is a beautiful girl that I love very much named…

"Peeta!" My dad brings me back to reality.

"Yes sir?"

"Gale was talking to you." He gives me the 'pay attention' look I get a lot when I start to day dream.

"Oh, yeah man I'm sorry what's up?" I wipe the frosting off my hands, and turn to face him. He has a concerned look on his face, but I can't figure out why. He walks over to me and reaches his hand out.

"I was just saying good luck today."

I'm shocked for a moment. Then I take his hand and reply, "Yeah you too." We shake hands. I desperately want to ask him if he will tell Katniss I said hi, but if they are really dating he might take it the wrong way. He turns to the door, but before he leaves he takes one of his arrows, shoves it through the bread,puts the bread with the arrow in a bag, and walks out the wasn't weird I think to myself. I turn around about to get busy on the cakes again when I realize that my dad is standing right beside me with his arms crossed and a 'care to explain' look on his face. That's the thing with my dad and me we can always tell what each other is thinking, saying, or even lyingabout just by the looks on our face. We get along very well. In fact he is the only one I can really trust right now. We can tell when the other needs to talk, when we don't feel well, or when we just want to be left alone. I really don't relate to anyone else in my family.

"Would you care to explain what happen back there?" That's another thing with my dad he never expects an answer. He's just there in case you want to give one. He is nothing like my mother she always expects an answer and almost everything she says she has to scream it so that way she can be sure you heard it. She has to know everything that moment, and never forget she is always right.

He can tell I really don't want to talk about it so he shrugs and says, "Well you know I'm here for you if you ever want to talk about it." I nod and he starts to walk back to the ovens.

"Dad?"

"Yes? What is it Peeta?" he says if full concern.

"I started thinking about her again." I wait for him to comment, but he only nods so I continue. "Every time I see him I get so… jealous. He gets to spend time with her every day. They spend so much time together that there is actually a rumor going on at school that they are dating." My dad knows how much she means to me because I always talk about her. Well at least to him I do. I don't talk about her to the rest of my family. I would never talk about her to my mother because to her being with a Seam girl is like throwing your life away. My father he knows how I feel because he fell in love with her mother, but she ran off with a coal miner. I never understood why my father told me it was because every time he sang even the birds stopped to listen. My dad waits for me to continue when I don't he gets to work. After a while I ask, "Do you think it's true?"

He looks at me puzzled. "That depends on what you're talking about."

I pause for a moment because in a way I don't want to know the answer. "Do you think they are really going out?"

He sighs. "I honestly don't know. It could be a possibility, but I'm not one hundred percent sure." My heart sinks a little, so there is a possibility. My heart rises a little when I think about it he said there is a possibility which is not a yes or a no. I may still have a chance.

Someone is moving around upstairs. A few minutes later my oldest brother Oliver comes around the corner. He's a little bit bigger than I am, and instead of blond hair blue eyes like me,he has brown hair and brown eyes like our mother. He is wearing a powder blue button down shirt with khaki pants and brown shoes. "Hey Peeta you need to get ready. It's almost time for the reaping, and I'm pretty sure they won't be very happy if you turn up in work clothes." He gives me a wink then runs right back up stairs screaming, "Hey bro rise in shine. It's time to get up." Then there's a thud on the roof above me.

"Hey man what was that for?!" Ryen is now screaming. Then I realized what happened. Oliver had flipped him out of the bed. I start walking up stairs to my room shaking my head and laughing.

**so what did you think? Is it something I should continue or not? Let me know don't be shy. Thanks so much for everything! U guys are awesome! I hopefully will have another chapter up soon. (If I get enough people who are interested in it.) thanks again ~JASMIN**


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